Adventure Time: The Chronicles of Aaa Season 2
by TaiylorWallace
Summary: Taiylor Wallace Presents: The Aaa Chronicles, the stories of Cake the Cat, Fionna the Human, Gumball the Candy Prince, and Marshall Lee the Vampire King. Rated T for blood and gore and possible language (it IS Marshall Lee). Season Two: Fight or Flight. A Fiolee series, dotted with the flirtations and jealousy of Flame Prince and Prince Gumball.
1. Welcome to Season Two

_**IT'S FINALLY HERE!**_

**_Adventure Time: The Chronicles of Aaa_**

_Season Two: Fight or Flight_

_By Taiylor Wallace_

Welcome, newcomers! Welcome returners from Season One! Welcome all! My name is Taiylor Wallace and I am the fanfiction author of Adventure Time: The Chronicles of Aaa, a Fiolee story that I created this past summer of 2014 to entertain a small group of friends, which grew to a group of over twenty followers here on FanFiction with many helpful and supportive commentators. I'm very proud to finally announce Season Two which was originally intended to come out in the second-to-last weekend of August. I'm afraid moving back into my dorm at college and getting settled into my homework load has forced me to put off the opening chapter, but it's here now!

To newcomers: I suggest you read Season One first. I'm trying my best to make Season Two its own story, but there are some background and developmental bits in Season One that you might like to know, such as those concerning Helen Abadeer, the Lich Queen, Flame Prince's history, and Marshall Lee's memories and thoughts. I'll be posting links below.

To returners: Hi guys! Welcome back! Sorry it took me so long, but I really hope you like this Season! I missed you guys and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again. See you in the first chapter!

To commentators from Season One: Thanks so much for all your support. Every kind word helped me keep writing and now we're at the dawn of a whole second season! I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all think again.

Without further ado, let's go! I'll post important links below for those who wish to read Season One, see the Tumblr page, or follow the reinstated Wordpress page.

Season One: The Danger, the Duo, and the Dance in the Dark

The Aaa Chronicles Tumblr

Adventure Time in Aaa (Wordpress)


	2. Abadeer Hall P1

_(A Note from the Author: I'm super excited for this new season, and I'd like to offer another apology for the long delay, but here it is!)_

**_It's been months since the Lich Queen incident and things seem to be normal for Fionna the Human. That is, her kind of normal. The kind that involves punching monsters and visiting Prince Gumball for taste-testing his latest creations. The newest addition to her 'normal' is the Flame Prince, her boyfriend whom she gladly goes on dates with every few nights. But someone doesn't like this new normal._**

* * *

><p>Fair weather had favored the grasslands all summer, and as autumn set in, so did a light chill. Cake the Cat and Fionna the Human spent more of their spare time inside with the cold, but Fionna also had an excuse to see her boyfriend of several months more often, the Flame Prince Flint Morkai. She loved to be near him, he was charming and intelligent and always attentive. Sometimes she wondered how he dealt with her endless and usually strange ramblings of whatever came to mind, but he seemed to do so happily. Their relationship had been made even better the day that they sought a pendant of flame protection from the flambits. Instead of Fionna wearing it, Flint now wore it constantly and it protected all around him from his flames no matter how heated his temper became thus far.<p>

One autumn evening as the sun set over Aaa, Fionna found herself beside Flint with his arm wrapped about her shoulders. They'd enjoyed quiet dates every few nights for some time now, but in that time, Fionna had noticed that whenever Flint was around, Marshall Lee would either avoid her or, if he was already in her company, make an excuse to leave. She missed her best friend. She had said as much to Flint before, but he didn't seem too keen on Marshall Lee lately. Though they'd once been fair friends, a rift had been driven between them over what one or the other believed was best for Fionna, and Fionna hated that they seemed to think that they knew what was best. She'd had a talk with Flint about it and he'd said nothing more, but Marshall would never stick around long enough to broach the subject.

With a sigh, Fionna laid her head on Flint's shoulder. "I know you don't wanna hear this… but I really wish Marshall Lee would come back and hang out with us like he used to…"

"I'm sorry I'm not as entertaining," Flint sighed in return, trying not to sound angry though he really got jealous of Fionna's longer friendship with Marshall Lee.

"It's not that at all," Fionna told him quickly, lifting her head and looking up at him. "It's just… you know… he's one of my best friends for a reason, just like Cake is and you're my boyfriend. I love you all for different things. And not having all of you around is kinda depressing sometimes."

"… Would you like me to invite Cake and Marshall Lee on our dungeon run tomorrow night?"

"You wouldn't mind?" Fionna's eyes lit up brightly with hope.

"No, I wouldn't." Flint forced a smile, but Fionna knew he was lying. All the same, she hugged him tightly and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You're the best."

* * *

><p>The next evening, Fionna had managed to talk Marshall Lee into coming over. She made sure not to let on her plans with Flint and warned Cake no to say a word. They were playing games on BMO when Flint arrived. Marshall Lee looked up, visibly retreated within himself, and after a few minutes, tried to fake a casual goodbye with some lame excuse to do with his cat. Fionna caught him by his collar before he could flee.<p>

"No way, man. We're going to a cool dungeon. All four of us."

"But Schwab-"

"Nope. Come on." Fionna knew he wouldn't leave without his axe guitar so she picked it up and strapped it across her shoulder after pulling on her backpack. Marshall fell back quietly beside Cake, sharing a look with her that said '_Fionna's trying too hard'_. They ventured across the plains to a small dip in the land near the border of the Ice Kingdom, where the ground had fallen away to reveal a crevice in the earth no doubt caused by an earthquake at some point.

"Flint and I checked it out a little bit last time we were here and we found the dungeon door. It looks like someone made it a long time ago when this thing first opened up," Fionna explained.

"The crude architecture suggests that it may be from –according to what humans a millennium ago called it- the 'Archaic Period'. But humans back then didn't really build such underground fortresses, especially not the people in the part of the world we're in, so… I don't know what group of people could've made it."

"Weird. I'm totally gonna forget all of that," Marshall crossed his arms as he floated along.

Flint glanced over to Fionna with an annoyed expression at Marshall Lee's lack of manners. Fionna gave his arm a squeeze to silently ask for his patience. When they got to the edge of the crevice, they found the rope that Fionna and Flint had used last time, but opted for Cake to stretch them down. Marshall Lee drifted down behind them and when they came to land, they found themselves in a massive, almost perfectly-domed cavern that definitely was not natural. It didn't seem like humans could manage such perfection, but the carvings were ancient and definitely made by human tools, as Flint pointed out in the chiseling and the aging, and also the tiny stalactites and stalagmites that had formed. He explained how they formed slowly, only up to an inch or so every thousand years. Marshall Lee, of course, paid no attention, studying the stone door at one side with little interest.

The great door was carved with intricate depictions that Flint couldn't identify. He knew they couldn't be what the humans had called 'Native American'. If anything, they looked like carvings from places humans knew as 'Greece' and 'Rome'. How they'd ended up in North America, which was where Flint believed Aaa was, no one had any idea. But as Flint thought aloud about how that could be possible, Marshall sighed and spoke up.

"They're not 'Greek' or whatever. They're demonic."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Mom made this one." Marshall pointed to a carved depiction of a mortal man facing a horrific minotaur beast.

"How do you know?"

"I know her style. And she left her symbol."

"Where?"

Marshall drifted up to the very top of the door where a small carving lay, in the exact shape of the amulet of the Nightosphere. "It's kinda her thing. And it's usually a button." He pressed the shape into the wall, and the door groaned in protest, but sunk into the floor slowly. Dust drifted out along with the coldest air any of them had ever felt, likely thanks to the Ice Kingdom above.

As Marshall Lee came to hover by Fionna, the bunny-eared girl shared a glance with him. Both knew that if Helen Abadeer was responsible for this fortress, there was probably something either very valuable or very dangerous inside. Or both. And it was probably guarded by a plethora of traps, puzzles, pitfalls, and ancient demons. Cake hugged Fionna about the waist, letting her trepidation be known. Fionna unconsciously reached out to take Marshall's hand on one side, and Flint's on the other. This was going to be a challenge and it was probably going to be terrifying, knowing the Mistress of Darkness. Fionna could only wonder how Marshall would deal with the whole thing as he was still a bit at odds with his mother. Secretly, though, she was glad he was there with her. If anyone could find their way past Helen Abadeer's trickery and deadly workings, it was the son she'd always tried to turn into her mirror image.

In just one step, they were enshrouded in darkness that was only warded off by Flint's fiery glow. They stopped as the door slid shut behind them, glancing over the minotaur carved into the back of the stone slab, clearly warning them of the guardian of the ancient fortress. Fionna took a deep breath and looked to Flint, to Cake, and then to Marshall. "Let's go." She said as Marshall Lee's gaze met her own.

* * *

><p><strong><em>So what'd ya'll think? It's not nearly as long as I'd hoped, but if I'd expanded any further, I would've delved into part two. Thanks so much for sticking with me, followers, and thanks to the reviewers for all their supportive and constructive comments last season! I hope you like this season, and I'm always looking for input and ideas! Let me know what you think in the reviews, and I'll see you next time!<em>**

**_-Taiylor Wallace_**


	3. Abadeer Hall P2

_**Our four adventurers have been in the underground **_**_labyrinth for hours, and now they're separated in the vast maze. Hopefully they'll find each other before the minotaur finds them, if he really is a monster like they suspect._**

It'd been nearly three hours since Fionna had last seen Marshall Lee and Cake, and about a half-hour since she'd seen Flint. They'd decided to split into two groups to tackle the vast maze (which Flint had expected since a minotaur was its guardian and the whole place had been fairly Greek in essence despite demonic origins). If one group found the exit, Cake could stretch the other group over to them. They'd kept contact a while, able to shout up into the cavern and hear each other. That was, until Flint and Fionna walked under an archway and suddenly, Fionna didn't feel his arm around her shoulders anymore. He'd gone without any trace at all, and she hadn't gotten an answer from her friends when she called out into the cavern. It was as if she'd walked into a different world by passing through that portal. Even the stonework had changed style. She'd tried to go back through the 'portal', but it had turned into a solid wall when she'd looked away.

As she wandered slowly through the twisting paths, hugging herself tightly, she felt cold and incredibly lonely. It reminded her of how she'd felt in the Lich Queen's presence, but… not quite the same. She could still hold onto a hope that she'd find her friends, but it was fading with each dead end.

* * *

><p>If he'd ever been angry before, Marshall Lee was fairly certain that previous tempers paled in comparison to his current boiling rage. Not only was he pissed off, but he was also nervous and, even though he'd never admit it, a little scared. Not necessarily for himself, but for the magical cat he'd suddenly lost in the maze and he felt an ache in his heart when he thought of how he'd tell Fionna he'd lost her sister without even realizing it. They'd been walking side-by-side… well, Cake was clinging to his side and walking a tad behind. She'd gotten nervous quickly, and had asked quietly if she could hold onto him just in case. Marshall Lee, for the first time ever, hadn't poked fun at her fear and he let her cling to his arm. Eventually, she looped a paw into his belt and walked practically on his heels. He simply walked on with his hands shoved in his pockets. Flying was useless as he'd found the moment he flew up high or Cake stretched up, they'd be struck with sudden blindness as if the darkness closed in on them above the tops of the walls. If they'd known that before they'd split from Fionna and Flint, they wouldn't have made the plan to had Cake stretch either group over to the ones who found the exit.<p>

But now, Cake was missing having suddenly disappeared as Marshall passed through an archway which he'd turned to see he could not go back through as it'd become a solid wall. His only choice was to go on and he did so with more uncertainty than he'd ever felt. Being alone wasn't so preferable when there was a minotaur around somewhere, or so the many carvings on the walls would have him believe. He wouldn't have put it past his mother to emulate some old culture in her projects, but he really wondered what the point of this maze was. What was she hiding at the end?

As the walls of the maze slowly closed in until the path was only just wider than Marshall's shoulders, the Vampire King began to feel somewhat claustrophobic. That was coming from a vampire who'd been buried alive a few times either on accident when his friends didn't know he was undead or to fake his own death to escape enemies. He tried to fly up and peer over the walls, but the darkness would allow no such thing. Eventually, even a ceiling came down as the maze delved into rock and left the massive echoing cavern behind, until Marshall was crawling uncomfortably and wished he had Cake's power to shrink. At one point, he thought he was going to get stuck attempting to back out of a dead end, until the floor suddenly opened up under him. If it wasn't for his ability to fly, he would've fallen about ten feet onto a very narrow crystalline platform over a glowing river of lava. There were more of these platforms, hanging from massive, single chains from the ceiling high above. Marshall landed on one, standing close to the chain to keep it balanced, and he looked over the other platforms. A human would have some serious difficulty jumping between them without tilting them and falling off into the lava. He only hoped Fionna didn't come across this challenge. But that just wasn't the case.

When he heard what sounded like a cave-in and saw a bunny-eared form falling toward a platform, he moved faster than he'd ever done in his life. She fell to the platform with a yelp at the impact, and when the centrally-balanced platform tilted, she rolled off and couldn't get a grip on the smooth edge. Luckily, Marshall Lee caught her long before she fell too far, and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as he clutched her shivering form in tight. She was terrified, claustrophobic from crawling through tunnels, and had lost all hope when she'd missed grabbing the edge of the crystal platform.

"It's okay, Fi," Marshall whispered as he drifted up high away from the intense heat. He followed the line of crystal discs til he came to a ledge that led into a large hand-carved tunnel. He landed on his feel, but she didn't want to let go of him even as she was set on her own two feet. Marshall wrapped his arms around her to offer all the comfort she wanted and needed. He'd never seen her so afraid, and he figured it was because she'd lost Flint. Fionna clung to him a while longer before finally stepping back with a blush that he could vaguely see in the dim light of the lava below. If not for the circumstances, he would've smiled, maybe chuckled, and reached up to brush a few stray golden strands from her face.

"Sorry… Just got really worked up… Flint disappeared…"

"I figured… I… I lost Cake." When Fionna looked up in alarm, Marshall raised his hands in defense, "I don't know how. I just… walked through this arch-"

"And she was just gone," Fionna finished his sentence for him. "The same thing happened with Flint. We've gotta find them."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know. I bet we'll find them at the end. That's usually how Mom's stuff works. And if we get separated… well, I'll see you at the end."

"Heck no," Fionna clung to him again, and Marshall couldn't help thinking about how… nice that felt. Like she really did need him. But he realized he wasn't focusing, so he hugged her tightly before taking her hand.

"Let's go. There should be some crazy monster for you to slay so we can rescue your dumb boyfriend and your kitty-cat."

Before they could go, Fionna gave Marshall's hand a squeeze. "I'm really glad you came, you know… I know you and Flint don't get along… I really missed you." Marshall felt a harsh tug at his heart.

"Yeah Fi… I missed you too." He wouldn't say the rest.

* * *

><p>The two walked for so long in the following tunnels that they eventually had to pause to sleep, and they both felt like they were starving by the time they found a new portion of Helen Abadeer's Labyrinth. Marshall Lee was daydreaming about all the fruit in his fridge and Fionna wanted nothing more than a bowl of Cake's famous macaroni and cheese. They entered a large chamber that was a dome exactly like the one they'd started in, until both realized it actually was the same chamber. The difference now was that the doorway was open again, and they were perched up on a ledge about twenty feet from the floor. Down in the center of the floor lay Cake and Flint, unconscious. Marshall almost didn't catch Fionna in time when she leapt off the too-high ledge. He set her gently on her feet and she bolted to her sister and boyfriend.<p>

"Flint? Cake?" Fionna asked nervously as she reached out to stroke Cake's ears. The magical cat grumbled as if having a nightmare.

"Oh, Glob…" Fionna looked up at this whisper from Marshall, and in the open stone doorway, she saw the outline of a great beast. She'd seen minotaurs several times before, but… this one was… different.

With a soft snort, the bull-man's massive hooves clashed against the stone floor as he stepped out. He was dressed in a long dark grey robe and cloak, not unlike some kind of priest, and from his neck hung a silver replica of the Nightosphere amulet with a small ruby set in the center. He had a very peaceful expression and he came to a halt before them, bringing his hands up to tuck into his sleeves before him.

"Welcome, young adventurers."

"Bern?" Marshall asked softly.

"And welcome, Your Grace. I'd almost not recognized you," the minotaur smiled.

"You know this dude?" Fionna looked up at Marshall.

"Yeah, he… he was around a lot when I was little."

"Yes, I was a… a bit of a caretaker, you might say. After the Prince disappeared into the mortal world and didn't seem to be coming back, I left the Nightosphere to take up residence here after the former caretaker left."

"So you're the one who kidnapped Flint and Cake?" Fionna growled.

"No. I retrieved them from their captor."

"Which was who?"

"The cave-goblins who decided to take over the maze with magicks that do not belong to them. This place is meant to be a test of patience, stamina, and faith for those wishing to work at Lady Helen Abadeer's side or become some manner of champion for her in the old days. But ever since I took over, it has become a pilgrimage of sorts for adventurers to prove their steadfastness and willpower. My good friend Choose Goose sends many, but ever since the goblins took over, it's been too much for many adventurers and I have to save them before they're eaten. Luckily, goblins don't eat cats and obviously nothing but a fellow fireling creature can eat a fireling."

"So… Marshall and I made it through. Does that mean we win or something?"

"Not quite. You see, Lady Helen told me I might see her son and his friends before long, and she gave me special instructions." From out of nowhere, the minotaur reached up and in his hand appeared a folded paper. He opened it up cleared his throat, and read aloud, "Bern, I'm writing to you on behalf of both myself and my late husband. When we first built the Mazirion that you now control, we intended for it to be used to prove the usefulness of selected demons, but also to be a test for our children as, at the time, we didn't know how many we'd have. Marshall Lee was meant to take on the tests of the Mazirion when he came of age, but as you know, he and I were separated and he was trapped in the mortal world and became King of Vampires. Now that he and I are back on fairly good terms and I've met his mortal friends, I know that his little human friend Fionna will eventually find out about the Mazirion and, being the adventurer and death-challenger she is, she'll want to take it on. Odds are, she'll bring her magical cat-sister and Marshall. Maybe even that Flame Prince she's been spending time with. Take them on and don't go easy on Marshall. You know what to do. He may be a thousand years old, but I want to see him complete the challenge his father laid down for him. Odds are, once he hears his father designed it all for him, he will too. Thank you, old friend… Signed, Helen Abadeer, Empress of the Nightosphere."

Marshall was silent for a long time even as Fionna and Bern looked for his reaction. Finally, Fionna asked softly, "Hey… Marsh?"

"Yeah…?" He murmured.

"… What was your dad's name?"

"… Marcel..."

"He designed everything here," Bern nodded. "He was an incredible artist and a bit of a classical musician. Aside from a few physical nuances from his mother, the Prince is astonishingly similar to him."

"So… what'd the old man want me to do?" Marshall Lee finally looked up to meet Bern's gaze.

"Neither your mother or father left real instructions… They said you'd know what to do." Bern motioned for him to follow. Marshall nodded, but before he got too far, Fionna stood and took his arm.

"Can I come with him? Will they be okay?" Fionna asked Bern quietly.

"Lady Helen told me that the Prince didn't have to be alone. And those two will be perfectly fine. They're simply very tired. It's perfectly safe in this part of the Mazirion, and I will know if danger approaches."

So, leaving Flint and Cake to rest, the three entered the door from which Bern came, and came down a candle-lit corridor to what looked like the interior of a temple. Across the walls on the left and right were shelves lined with ancient Nightospherian artefacts, and against the back wall, Marshall came to face a massive stone golem, simply watching and waiting. Marshall smiled almost bitterly as Fionna squeezed his arm. "Dad loved making golems… He was obsessed with building them since he didn't have any magical powers, but they had their own if you built them right. He loved creating things… This must be one of the last ones."

"Is it gonna try to fight us?"

"Yeah. This is a heavy stone fighter."

"So… do you know how to beat it?"

"No idea. Better get your sword out, though."

Fionna let go of his arm and reached into her backpack for her crystal sword that Gumball had made for her after the incident with Ice Queen, and Marshall Lee pulled his axe-guitar from his back. Bern stood quietly in the corner, and tossed a small pebble at the golem. With a tiny _tink_, it bounced off the golem's shoulder. The great beast's shoulder plates shifted like two huge boulders getting dislodged from a thousand-year old resting place… which wasn't too far from the truth, and its square-ish head rose up. Two glowing blue eyes came to stare at Marshall Lee and its massive hand with only two thick fingers and a thumb rose up, opened, and revealed what seemed to be a barrel in its arm. When the barrel glowed with focusing magical energy, Marshall and Fionna dove in opposite directions to avoid the blast of raw energy, and it shot down the hall behind them to strike the back of the door that Bern had closed behind them. Both bolted forward on either side and struck him in both arms with their weapons, only for each to suffer an awful reverberation through their arms at the force while the golem was left unscathed. After dodging another blast, Marshall tried for the golem's joints, but got the same result.

"Okay," Marshall grunted as he landed beside Fionna after yet another blast. "So… he's got no physical weaknesses on the outside."

"Lemme try something." Fionna bolted forward as the golem lifted his arm again, and before Marshall could yell at her to get back, she shoved her blade down the barrel in the golem's arm. The blade stuck and Fionna yelped as she was thrown back by a swipe from the golem's other arm, and her sword was blown clear when he shot out another blast. Marshall barely managed to get her out of its path, but it grazed him and ripped a large hole in his shirt around the left side of his ribs and left his skin burnt there. In pulling Fionna to her feet, he dropped his guitar and the strings twanged in complaint, making the golem suddenly pause. Marshall looked up as Fionna leaned on him, trying to catch her breath.

"He stopped…" Marshall muttered.

"No he didn't!" Fionna tackled Marshall to the floor as the golem charged at them, narrowly stepping over the guitar. Marshall grabbed it from where he'd landed and strummed all the strings at once, creating the simple open-string chord. The golem paused again, and Marshall drew the guitar to his stomach as Fionna still lay beside him, panting, and he strummed a few more chords as he stood up and Fionna rose with him.

"What's happening?" Fionna murmured.

"This was how dad kept them peaceful for repairs, just in case they got knocked around too much and turned on him… His golems all fall dormant to certain pieces of his music. He made sure one of the songs was the lullaby he wrote for me, so I could sing it just in case I ever ran into a broken golem."

"Sing it. Maybe that's what you have to do."

"It's embarrassing."

"Come on, man, you've done way more embarrassing stuff in front of me. Besides, your dad writing a lullaby for you is awesome and really sweet."

"Okay… just don't laugh at me…" Marshall took a deep breath, changing from one song to another with an easy transition. With a sigh, he began.

"_Hey, little guy, it's time to dream._

_Time to go and see the unseen._

_Magic mountains, oceans of blue,_

_And it's all been made just for you…_

_Time to fly with Mom and I,_

_Into the great big blue sky._

_Lay your head down little guy…_

_And I'll see you when you rise…"_

Marshall had to reach up to wipe his own tears away when he realized he'd been crying, and Fionna couldn't help the tears that brimmed in her own eyes. Both looked up to see the golem staring at them, and then the great creature knelt as the last chord faded, and his stone chestplate opened up, splitting down the middle. Inside in a cavity floated a glowing blue gem about the size of a small marble, and beneath it lay a little old scroll and what looked to be a toy dinosaur and a jewelry box. Marshall approached slowly, sliding his guitar around to his back. He reached in, taking the three items.

"The gem too. Lady Helen said you should take it," Bern said softly.

"But it'll make the golem useless…" Marshall murmured.

"I'll keep it safe, but she wanted you to take the gem."

"Okay…" Marshall took hold of the gem, and the blow glow disappeared from the golem's eyes and it fell dormant.

"Now… you'd best get your friends and go."

"But what about you?"

"I must continue my project to eradicate the goblins and I must maintain this place for future adventurers. Go on. You may return any time, but I will show you the easier entrance as you've already passed the tests."

"Come on, Fi…" Marshall tucked the dinosaur, gem, and jewelry box into his pants pockets and carried the scroll in hand as they returned to Flint and Cake, who were just waking up. Bern showed them the way out and they had to explain to Flint and Cake what had happened. Flint, needless to say, was a little suspicious of Fionna and Marshall's emotional states but Fionna assured him that it was because of Marshall's father's song.

* * *

><p>Bern took them through a winding tunnel that slowly ran upwards, and they found themselves on the edge of a forest not two miles from Marshall's home. Cake wanted to go home right away and so did Flint, but Fionna was worried about Marshall and the forlorn and depressed expression on his face, not to mention she was curious as to the meaning of the objects he'd received, though she didn't want to push. She said goodbye to her boyfriend and sister, and followed Marshall to his home. They had to hurry along as it was nearly sunrise.<p>

When they arrived, Marshall greeted his cat Schwabl with a pat before he sat down on his sofa and Fionna settled beside him. He sighed softly, pulling out the four objects. He half-smiled at the dinosaur figure and Fionna guessed it'd been a toy of his. He laid it and the gem aside and opened up the old scroll whose edges crumbled slightly in his hands. Fionna didn't try to read it over his shoulder, as much as she wanted to, but she was surprised when he handed it over her to read. As she carefully took it, she found the handwriting was rather comforting and casual in style, sharply edged but messy and easygoing.

_Marshall Lee,_

_Hey, little guy, it's Dad. I really miss you, buddy. It's been almost ten years since you've been gone, and I've been thinking of you every day since we lost you. I built this big stone golem based on a drawing you made for me when you were six. I hope you like it. And the gem inside is made from that special marble you found when you were five. I'm sorry I never got around to making it into a necklace for you. Mom and I were always so busy… now that you're gone, I regret every time I had to leave you with Bern to do something that, looking back, was pointless compared to spending time with my family. I hope you won't hold it against us, but I wouldn't blame you if you did. And I'm sorry I got so sick and I couldn't do anything with you… I'm still sick now, even worse than before, and Mom's worried out of her mind for me. It's hard for a demon to understand human illness... But I'll be okay. After all, I gotta be here when you get back, right? Even if it takes you forever, I promise I'll be waiting in my studio for you… Even if I'm gone before you return, I'll be in that dusty old place with my guitar and my keyboard, waiting to see what kind of musician you've become, or whatever you decided to be._

_I miss you so much, Marsh… I hope you find this golem in the mortal world before too long. The gem can bring you home. You know the spell for it, Mom made sure to teach you. I love you, little guy… You'll always be my rockstar._

_Love,_

_Dad_

Fionna looked up slowly, tears brimming once more. But she was a little shocked to see tears coursing down Marshall's face like some kind of emotional dam had broken. She'd never really seen him cry like that. She wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him tightly. They cried together, one for a lost father and one for the boy who lost him. After a long while, Marshall leaned back and they both looked down as he opened the jewelry box to find a silver ring set with an aquamarine, and Marshall choked up again. Fionna knew right away that it must've been Marcel's ring.

They spent a long time in silence and both eventually fell asleep on the couch, leaning on one another. Never had Marshall Lee been so glad for a friend at his side, and he was even more thankful that it was Fionna. He'd never gone through so much emotional turmoil with anyone before, but he couldn't have asked for a better person to face it with him… Thank the stars for Fionna.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Finally I've got part two done. I had a huge surge of inspiration today and I wrote two scenes of a play and then sat down to write this. It's longer than my usual chapter to make up for the shortness of the last. Season Two is starting on a strong emotional high. I hope you like the insight into Marshall Lee's father, and yes, I purposely named him Marcel to send a little bit of love to Marceline, my other most favorite vampire ever. And this won't be the last we hear from Marcel.<strong>_

_**-Taiylor Wallace**_


	4. UPDATE

Hello, my dear readers. Let me start by apologizing profusely.

I AM SO SORRY.

Writing took a backseat to school, which I'm sure a lot of you can relate to. Hopefully, I'll be back in the swing of this story during Christmas break and be able to continue through spring. I'm going to try to update at least once a week, more if I hit a creative stride. Thanks to those of you who have been sticking with me and waiting! I love you all!

-Taiylor Wallace


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